Beginners Guide: Mix and Pour Foam

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Mix and Pour Foam: A guide for Mold Construction

Mix and Pour Foam one of the most popular products within the composites industry, with a variety of uses and roles. It can be used as a structural core material for composites, with foam added to increase strength, stiffness and insulation to a project without adding too much undue weight. Being easy to handle and flexible in its final shape, thickness and size, it is little wonder why foam has become the go-to choice for fabricators.

But what about sculpting? Sculpting refers to cutting and sanding of foam (or similar material) to match the desired shape of your plug. The plug itself is the actual item you wish to create, either with fiberglass or another composite material. The plug can either be the object itself or a recreation made from virtually any time of material.

Using Mix and Pour Foam for Sculpting

Fibre Glast carries two types of Mix and Pour Foam, the #24/25 2 Lb. Polyurethane Mix and Pour Foam, and our #624/625 6 Lb Polyurethane Mix and Pour Foam. The main differences between these two will come from the ultimate compressive strength of the foam. For projects that will need the extra structural support, 6 Lb foam will outpace 2 Lb and should be considered for use. For the purposes of this blog though, we will be focusing on the 2 Lb Foam mixture.

The 2 Lb. Mix and Pour Foam is a two-part, expanding foam. It is a 2lb/cu. Ft density, closed-cell system that can easily be cut or sanded with saws, knifes or sanding tools in order to create your desired shape. This makes it an ideal material for creating your plug, and will become completely rigid once fully cured.

Construction Process

Plug creation generally follows a five step process.

•Lay out your Plug Design

•Build a sturdy frame to hold your plug.

•Make a surface for the frame

•Pour the mixed foam over the frame, in multiple pours.*

•Carve and sand the plug into the designed shape

Here, you can see a step by step process of composite mold making, using a mix and pour foam.

You can also see a video demonstration of how mix and pour foam expands here.